Marketing: Communication is key for reaching confused consumers

published 2005

Evidence is mounting that marketers need to diversify their spend on communications as consumers grapple with an ever-increasing multitude of product alternatives.

A US research study by Forrester Custom Research in conjunction with Brodeur probed Americans’ attitudes on (among others) more than 80 consumer electronic brands and 35 consumer electronics manufacturers.

The results showed that advertising was only one of a number of sources of information - and a relatively minor one at that - with the internet and the reading of articles in newspapers and magazine heavily favoured by information hungry consumers.

Symptomatic of the pressures facing today’s consumer was the need for the researchers to create a ‘Confusion Index’ to rank how confused consumers felt about nearly 20 activities involved in the every day use of technology.

Some of the findings were:

Confusion:

• More than 50 percent of consumers who rate themselves as “extremely confused” said they had delayed the purchase of a new technology product by more than a year since they first considered it.
• 20 percent of the above group said they delayed their purchase because they were confused by it, and 25 percent said they bought the product even though they were still confused!

Information sources:

• Advertising recall for consumer technology products was highest amongst internet portals, beating out other web sites as well as traditional forms of media.
• However, local newspapers toped even internet portals as the place where consumers most often read articles about consumer technology.
• Consumers who said they plan to buy a DVD recorder in the next twelve months are twice as likely to read articles about technology in home magazines and national newspapers.
• Those planning to buy a HDTV are four times as likely to read digital lifestyle magazines and nearly 2.5 times as likely to use manufacturers’ web sites and comparison shopping sites to learn about technology. 
• Consumers planning to buy a digital camera in 2005 are twice as likely to read women’s magazines.

Another recent study has also emphasised the importance of reaching consumers through editorial and other sources.

The recent release of the 2005 Edelman Trust Barometer, a survey of 1500 opinion leaders across eight countries, revealed:

• Around 90 percent of people believe information conveyed by articles or news stories more than advertising.
• More than 80 percent of respondents do not believe information unless they see or hear it from multiple sources.

“This”, said Richard Edelman, “is further evidence that you can’t buy trust by speaking at audiences through advertising”.

These and other studies indicate that there is always a role for advertising in making consumers aware of a product. But increasingly consumers are looking for more information in order to make an informed buying decision.  This is where PR support is playing a greater role in converting that awareness into a firm product enquiry, which may ultimately lead to a sale.

This is particularly so in consumer electronics - where consumers want hard information about product capabilities before making a final product selection.